The North Face Signs Wallisch, Martini & Riddle

The North Face, the world&rsquo;s premier supplier of authentic, innovative and technically advanced outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear, announced yesterday that skiers Tom Wallisch, Nick Martini and Mike Riddle, and snowboarder Kaitlyn Farrington have joined its athlete team. The North Face has a team of more than 60 professional global athletes which includes snowboarders, skiers, rock climbers, mountaineers and ultrarunners.

The North Face is the original big mountain company, with a heritage steeped in snowsports, appealing to elite athletes on both the back and front sides of the mountain. The North Face is dedicated to creating collections that appeal to all snowsport communities, including park and pipe. In an effort to rejuvenate park, pipe and big mountain riding, The North Face is looking to new faces within the community to influence the next generation of snowsport athletes.

&ldquo;We are thrilled to bring such strong, talented athletes onto The North Face athlete team,&rdquo; said Aaron Carpenter, Vice President of Marketing for The North Face. &ldquo;We look forward to supporting each of them as their careers grow. Being able to bring our big mountain heritage to the competition scene will inspire young athletes to push their boundaries and discover their upmost potential.&rdquo;

Skier Tom Wallisch took first place at the inaugural 2010 European X Games and first place in Slopestyle at the Dew Tour Snowbasin. Wallisch was ranked as the top slopestyle skier in the world by the Association of Freesking Professionals in 2009. That same year he also took first place at the Simon Dumont Cup, in Slopestyle at the Dew Tour Lake Tahoe, as well as second place at the European Open and Jon Olsson Super Sessions. Wallisch can also be seen on FUEL-TV and starred in MTV2&rsquo;s Dew Tour Reality Show in 2009.

Tom Wallisch. Photo: John Vandervalk

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really excited to have The North Face involved in our aspect of the sport. They always strive to produce the best gear for any sport and circumstance,&rdquo; said Wallisch. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s very exciting to be working with such a cool company, and having the ability to produce the products we want and need is just awesome. I&rsquo;ve always admired their incredible athlete team and the products The North Face makes.&rdquo;

Skier Mike Riddle is a member of the Canadian National Halfpipe Team. He took first place in the Superpipe at the Dew Tour Breckenridge in 2009 and competed in the 2010 X Games in Superpipe and High Air, taking fourth in both. Riddle is very involved in pushing for the Ski Superpipe to gain inclusion in the 2014 Olympic Games.

Mike Riddle. Photo: John Vandervalk

&ldquo;I am so excited to be a part of The North Face family. They've been supporting the most hardcore skiers for as long as I can remember, and to join that team of athletes is a dream come true,&rdquo; said Riddle. &ldquo;Having a company like The North Face that not only makes the highest quality products, but also listens to athletes input, makes all the difference. Having a say in the products is something that every athlete can respect and I'm stoked to start a strong and lasting relationship.&quot;

While an injury kept him off the mountain during the 2009-2010 season, skier Nick Martini can be seen in Poorboyz&rsquo;s Revolver (2010) and Stept Productions&rsquo; Network (2010) as well as 2009&rsquo;s Can&rsquo;t Stop by Ride The Planets. In 2009 he was named the Dew Tour Ball Park Alpha Dawgs Award Winner, awarded to top Dew Tour athletes age 18 or younger. He took first place in the Slopestyle at the Waterville Valley J5 Jam, and second place at the Loon Mountain March Mayhem, Slopestyle.

Nick Martini. Photo: Jeff Schmuck

&ldquo;When I was given the opportunity to work with The North Face I couldn&rsquo;t have been more excited,&rdquo; said Martini. &ldquo;The fact that The North Face is dedicating so much to this side of the sport is great. I can&rsquo;t wait to see all the new product that will be developed over the next couple years. I am stoked to work with The North Face and contribute to making gear that everyone will love.&rdquo;

The North Face Cryptic line is the premier, most technical product on the mountain that merges style and design with advanced performance. Whether big mountain or park and pipe, athletes are the heart of design and inspiration. Wallisch, Riddle, Martini and Farrington will work closely with the company&rsquo;s Research, Design and Development teams to create and further develop technical product for park and pipe.

New $1,000 cash award for best multi-discipline performance, a sponsorship, skis and bindings added to 2016 competition A number of new partners have joined The North Face to support the 2016 Park and Pipe Open Series Virtual Competition (PPOS). Clif Bar will sweeten the pot with a number of tasty prizes and incentives. Rossignol and …

The North Face Peak2Park Virtual Competition invites competitors from anywhere on the mountain to showcase their skills and compete virtually with fellow skiers and snowboarders in North America and Europe. Whether you ski in the Park and Pipe Open Series (PPOS); or hit big mountain features on your skis or snowboard in the new All Mountain Open Series (AMOS), now is the time to start filming. Film your best clips, splice them together, and submit your edit for a chance to win part of the prize purse valued at $65,000. Learn more at peak2park.com.